Minnesota could better use technology to monitor sex offenders once they're released to the community, members of a task force said Thursday, the Star Tribune reports. The panel is trying to come up with reforms for the state's costly and controversial system for civilly committing sex offenders to treatment lockups after prison.

The proposed 58-room Excelsior Hotel would be the only hotel on the lake and would include retail space and a restaurant. Excelsior's planning commission has approved the deal; the city council takes it up next week.

Minneapolis City Council voted Friday to ease a restriction on restaurants and breweries that prohibited alcohol from being served within 300 feet of a house of worship.

The Minneapolis City Council's Zoning and Planning committee will decide Thursday whether the proposed Lyn-Lake location should be rezoned to allow Trader Joe's to include an attached beer and wine store. Finance & Commerce reports council member Meg Tuthill does not support rezoning. If the project is approved, construction on the sixth Trader Joe's in the metro area could begin this fall and open next spring.